


The Gift

by leaxil0u



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games)
Genre: A few other characters are mentioned but they don't appear, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Family, Friendship, Married Couple, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Protective Dadow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:02:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28285932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leaxil0u/pseuds/leaxil0u
Summary: "The bat felt her heart melt, seeing her husband gaze upon Maria asleep in her crib. Having her home, healthy and happy, was a better gift than anything Rouge could’ve bought."Shadow and Rouge are spending their first Christmas together with their baby daughter when an unexpected guest shows up at their door. Takes place in the same continuity as "The Impossible Child."
Relationships: Rouge the Bat & Shadow the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat/Shadow the Hedgehog
Kudos: 8





	The Gift

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sort of sequel to my first fic, "The Impossible Child". You aren't required to read that one first, but it will give a little more context for a few things. So, I'll include a link here:
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/25713496

Christmas Eve in Central City was quiet. A heavy snowfall had come overnight, blocking all of the roads. There was nothing but white outside the nearby window, which was now starting to sport a pinkish purple hue as the sun began to set. Crystalized ice could be seen on the edges of the windowpane. Usually, Rouge wasn’t too fond of this kind of weather, especially when she had somewhere to be. Driving was impossible, and the brisk winds made flying a bothersome task. But, today, the 28-year-old bat didn’t mind the cold. It wasn’t like she was planning on going anywhere anytime soon.

She currently sat on the living room couch, surrounded by several fluffy cushions. There was an open notebook on the coffee table where the bat had jotted down many vital observations. In a nearby corner, Omega was attempting to decorate a short, stocky pine tree. Despite his best efforts, there were already shards of broken ornament strewn about the hardwood floor. Meanwhile, her husband Shadow was off in the kitchen preparing dinner, with his Chao following his every step. Rouge wanted to help, but, at the moment, she was preoccupied with something else. And that something was the tiny gray bat suckling from her breast.

Like most preemies, it took a while for little Maria to figure out how to breastfeed. Even bottle-feeding proved to be a challenging endeavor in the first few weeks of her life. Now that her daughter was finally home, Rouge kept a sharp eye on her eating habits. This evening, Maria had more than gotten the hang of latching on and was now vigorously gulping down her milk. While surprised by the baby’s newfound appetite, the new mother was relieved that she no longer had to give her child supplemental nutrients through a syringe. 

_Mother_. That was a title Rouge never expected to have. In the five days since Maria came home, it was finally beginning to sink in. Sitting on the couch, nursing her daughter, gave her time to truly admire the person she created with her longtime friend turned lover. The baby had a lot of her father in her. The red markings on her body instantly gave away the Black Arms half of her D.N.A. Since it was Christmas, she was dressed in a fuzzy green onesie, perfectly complimenting her sparkling red eyes. The fact that she was able to survive until Christmas was incredible to Rouge. For such a tiny little bat, she’d already proven to be a tremendous fighter.

When Maria finished eating, Rouge noticed the little bat twitching her nose and puffing out her cheeks. That expression usually meant one of two things. The older bat held her daughter up against her shoulder and patted her back, careful to avoid hurting her fragile pair of wings. Hoping for a small burp, she instead heard a gag and felt a familiar sliminess oozing down her back. A high pitched wailing soon followed.

Within seconds, a black and red hedgehog appeared in front of the mother and child, followed by a Chao with similar spikes and colors. It didn’t take long for him to realize what had happened. “Spit up, again?”

“I’m afraid so.” Rouge sighed, placing the crying baby into the waiting arms of her father. Shadow rocked the little bat back and forth until her tears finally ceased. 

“What did I tell you about eating too fast, young lady?” Father and daughter touched snouts, causing the baby to giggle. The hedgehog’s eyes were filled with pure adoration.

“ _She’s gonna be a total Daddy’s girl. I can already tell._ ” Rouge smiled at the thought. She didn’t have a father growing up. Without much effort, the bat was already giving her daughter something she never had. 

Suddenly, a loud, beeping sound could be heard from the kitchen. Dinner was almost ready. Still trying to comfort the baby, Shadow headed back to the stovetop with Maria held close to his chest. “Let’s go to the kitchen. Mama’s gotta go change her shirt.” 

Shadow’s Chao Star, who’d been glaring at the infant the entire time, refused to follow the hedgehog into the kitchen. Star was adopted four years ago when it had just barely hatched. Shadow’s therapist, Dr. Williams, suggested that he get one for emotional support. Since then, the Chao and the hedgehog were practically inseparable. Rouge had also grown quite attached to it, as evident from the purple wings that flapped furiously as it floated through the air. Unfortunately, since Maria arrived, poor Star wasn’t getting the same level of attention it was used to receiving. Feeling sorry for the creature, Rouge gave it an affection chin scratch.

“Come now. You can help me pick out a new shirt.” At her command, the Chao gleefully floated behind her as she headed to the master bedroom. 

Immediately, Rouge discarded her soiled t-shirt into the laundry bin, which was now filled with similarly stained garments. She was left standing in front of her dresser mirror while Star continuously circled above her head. 

Wearing nothing but sweatpants and a nursing bra, the bat hardly recognized herself. During her pregnancy, her belly swelled to a rather substantial size. Now that her daughter was born, Rouge was left with all the excess weight. No doubt she would’ve had a few more stretch marks around her navel had she carried Maria the full nine months. She shuddered at the mere thought of the healing scar at her bikini line. Just picturing it in her head was enough to bring her back to a dark place that she wasn’t prepared to revisit. 

Her sights turned to the heart-shaped makeup bag on the dresser. Since she hadn’t gone out much over the past three months, Rouge didn’t put on as much makeup as she did before. Her face suddenly felt bare. The makeup contents were strewn atop the dresser surface in a flash, and the bat’s face was colorfully contoured. Suddenly, her current attire seemed inadequate.

Rouge looked up at the Chao, who had been floating above her head the entire time. “Star, see if you can find me something nice.”

Within five minutes, Star flung the new outfit onto the bed. It was a gold long-sleeved v-neck dress with a waist tie. Rouge didn’t remember buying it. Then again, she had a lot of clothes in her closet that she rarely wore. Star popped back into the closet and reemerged with a diamond necklace and a matching pair of heels. She had to admit. The Chao certainly had a keen eye for fashion.

Once she changed clothes, Rouge examined herself in the mirror again, not quite sure what to think. She felt more glamorous than she had in a while. But the waist tie accentuated her excess weight in a less than flattering way. Before she could adequately decide if she liked her new look, a sudden commotion interrupted her thoughts.

* * *

“INTRUDER!” a metallic voice echoed from down the hall. 

Instinct drove the bat outside of the room, with Star, once again, trailing behind. Someone could be after her baby. However, when she found her robot companion at the open front door, cannons aimed for firing, her worst fears subsided.

Outside on the snow-covered step was a familiar pink hedgehog. She was decked out in festive winter gear: a red velvet coat and a matching hat, trimmed with faux white fur and industrial-grade leather snow boots. Her shoulder-length quills were tied back in a sporty ponytail. A massive bulky burlap sack sat at her feet while she stood in a combat-ready position, hammer raised high in the air. It looked as if a one-on-one battle was about to occur at the bat’s house entrance.

“Omega, stop it!” Rouge flung herself in between the two. “Amy’s a friend!”

“FINE,” the robot backed away from the door, “I WILL CONTINUE THE TRIMMING OF THE TREE.”

No sooner was Omega gone did Amy engulf her old friend into a hug. “Rouge, you look amazing!”

The bat felt a boost in self-confidence. Amy hadn’t noticed the soft flabbiness of her figure. Then again, the last time the pink hedgehog saw her, she was as big as a house. Anything smaller than that was already an enormous change. “ _Perhaps,_ ” Rouge wondered, “ _the imperfections of my body are only visible to me._ ”

“It’s good to see you too, Amy.” she broke from the embrace. It was then that Rouge saw the redness of the hedgehog’s muzzle. A bead of snot dripped from her nose. “How’d you even get here? The roads are blocked.”

Before Amy could answer, Rouge noticed the trail in the snow, down the steps, and out to the sidewalk. The poor thing must’ve dragged that sack all the way over from Station Square. 

Against her better judgment, the bat invited the hedgehog inside. “Shadow and I are just about to have dinner.”

Amy graciously entered the couple’s townhouse, dragging the sack behind her. In the entryway, she removed her coat, revealing a long-sleeved red dress with green trim. Tiny bells were sewn to the hem, jingling with each step the hedgehog took. 

The bat could hear the ecstatic babbling of a Chao as she hung her guest’s coat on a hook.

Amy giggled. “Hey there, Star. Did you miss me?”

The Chao bobbed up and down with delight. It hatched at the Chao sanctuary run by Cream the Rabbit and her mother. So Amy was one of the first people it ever laid eyes on.

Shadow soon reemerged from the kitchen. “Sounds like we’ve got one more person joining us tonight!” 

The pink hedgehog barely registered what he had said. She was too fixated on the little bat cradled in his arms. “Is…is that…”

Beaming with pride, Shadow turned to his daughter and then back to the visiting hedgehog. “Maria, this is Amy.”

The baby gleefully cooed at the house guest, who was struck with starry-eyed awe. “She’s so precious. Can I hold her?”

“NEGATIVE!” The giant E-series robot stepped between the two hedgehogs. He morphed one arm into a cannon pointed at the terrified 22-year-old, who raised her hammer in response. 

Mortified, Rouge flew up to Omega’s eye level and flashed a death glare. Immediately, the robot backed off.

“It’s nothing personal, Amy,” the bat explained, “The doctors don’t want us having visitors over for a while.” 

“So visitors holding the baby just wouldn’t be a good idea,” Shadow added. All the while, Maria clung to his chest fur. 

“I understand.” Amy smiled, then knelt down to be at the baby’s eye level. “I still think it’s so sweet that you named her Maria.”

The bat ruffled the tufts of fur on her daughter’s head. “It’s the name we liked the most.”

From the moment she discovered she was pregnant, Rouge knew precisely what name Shadow would want to use. Not that she had any complaints about it. Maria was a lovely name, and she would be named after a significant person from her father’s past. The bat couldn’t help but wonder how they’d explain everything to the child as she got older.

While Amy and Shadow continued to chat, Rouge’s attention turned to the cargo the pink hedgehog had hauled with her through the snow. Inside the burlap sack were several colorful packages of various shapes and sizes. The first one Rouge pulled out was a medium-size box wrapped in metallic gold paper. A tag tied to the silver ribbon said, “From Amy.” Upon closer inspection, all of the gifts had familiar names on the labels—Knuckles, Cream, Big, and all of Team Chaotix, just to name a few.

“Are these all for us?” Rouge looked at the pink hedgehog, who already stepped in to help unload the sack.

“For Maria,” Amy said, placing a red and green striped package at the base of the tree. “I was gonna throw you a baby shower in October.”

Rouge felt a knot in her stomach. October was the month before she was originally due to give birth. Instead, she spent most of it in and out of the hospital, visiting a baby that, at most, had a fifty percent chance of survival. 

Noticing the bat’s grim expression, Amy placed a hand on her shoulder. “These are some of the gifts we planned on giving you. Plus, a few more we got after Maria was born.”

Rouge didn’t want to dwell on any more unpleasantness. She simply smiled and said, “Thank you, Amy. They’re lovely.”

Before either one of them could unload another present, Omega barged in between them. “I WILL ARRANGE THEM UNDER THE TREE!” 

So, the girls stepped aside. After all, it was pretty much time to eat.

* * *

Shadow prepared a massive pot of chili made with ground turkey, tomatoes, bell peppers, and four kinds of beans for dinner. The scent of cumin and coriander could be detected from several rooms away. Since no one in the house was drinking alcohol, the meal was paired with a sparkling white grape juice served in champagne glasses for the time being. 

Maria was now resting in her crib. A baby monitor was placed at the head of the table between Rouge and Shadow’s place settings. Omega was given some Chao drives and a few fruit pieces to keep Star distracted for a little bit. So, the only other person at the dinner table was Amy Rose.

As impromptu as it was, the couple enjoyed having Amy over for dinner. Before anyone had even properly sat down, they were all talking over each other, wanting to get caught up. The pink hedgehog was more than thrilled to reveal her plans to open a cafe once her studies wrapped up in the spring. Rouge was just as eager to review Amy’s business plan. Shadow, on the other hand, was preoccupied with his wife’s untouched bowl of chili. 

“Rouge, you need to eat more.” The black hedgehog pleaded.

“I’m not that hungry, dear.” The bat shifted the contents of her bowl around with her spoon.

“You need all the nutrients you can get. It’ll keep your strength up.” Shadow took a swig of grape juice. “Plus, it’ll help you produce milk.”

Blushing, Rouge crossed her arms over her chest. “Can we not talk about that in front of our guest?!”

Realizing his mistake, Shadow took another sip from his glass while glancing down at his feet. Although feeding Maria had become a regular part of her life, the bat was uncomfortable discussing motherhood’s intimate details with others. Even with those she considered friends. 

Noticing the tense atmosphere, Amy immediately changed the subject. “This chili is delicious, Shadow.”

Even though she wasn’t eating much of it, Rouge had to agree. Shadow had spent years honing his skills in the kitchen, and it was starting to pay off.

“It’s nothing much,” he replied, “just threw together a few things we had in the fridge.”

“ _Don’t be so modest!_ ” was what his wife wanted to say. Instead, she shoved a heaping spoonful into her mouth.

“Well, you should make it again,” Amy said after swallowing her last bite. “In fact, this would be great for chili dogs when...”

She trailed off. The couple eagerly stared at their guest, waiting for more.

“...when Sonic gets back.”

All the color in Shadow’s face vanished in seconds. Almost two years ago, Dr. Eggman disappeared. G.U.N. raided all of his known bases and found no trace of the man. It was upon closer examination of some of his discarded blueprints—and the revelation that a Chaos Emerald had gone missing from the national reserve—that many began to suspect he’d escaped to another dimension. Unsurprisingly, Sonic was the first to volunteer to go after him. And Tails, who was now a dependable and brilliant 18-year-old, accompanied his longtime companion on the voyage. 

Rouge’s ears perked. It’d been so long since she’d heard his name. “Isn’t Big Blue coming back next month?”

That was the promise Sonic made to everyone. If the doctor wasn’t found within a year, he and Tails would return to their dimension. From there, the others could develop a new search plan based on the blue hedgehog’s experiences. Although, depending on what he found, it would probably be safer to declare Eggman dead. 

Regardless, Sonic still needed to come home. Amy was always optimistic that he would. Each month, she’d eagerly tell her friends about all the things they could do to celebrate his promised return. Now, the light in her eyes was dim, and her smile was feigned.

“I don’t know, Rouge.” she picked at her food with her spoon. “No one’s heard from him or Tails in ages.”

Unfortunately, the best encouragement Rouge could provide was that “they might just be having trouble making contact.” At this point, the bat hadn’t been working for over three months. Recovering from Maria’s birth proved to be both physically and emotionally taxing. So, all information regarding Sonic’s whereabouts was relayed to her through Shadow and Omega. And, as Amy implied, very little information was available.

As expected, Rouge did little to reassure the concerned hedgehog. “Maybe. But what if something terrible has happened?”

“Those two have gotten out of a lot of difficult situations in the past.” Shadow cleared his throat and took another sip of juice. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

Rouge could tell that her husband’s stern expression was a front. Over the years, he’d grown fond of the blue hedgehog, whom he now considered one of his closest friends. He was even the best man at their wedding shortly before he left. Just by looking at him, Rouge knew Shadow was already trying to concoct some way to go after Sonic if he didn’t return by the end of next month. 

“He’ll come back, dear.” The bat gazed lovingly at her husband before playfully putting her hand on her hip. “After all, he does have my Chaos Emerald!”

Shadow stared at his wife with confusion. Rouge shook her head. “What, did you really think having a baby would make me forget?”

The black hedgehog chuckled. For a brief moment, Shadow did think his wife would forget that he’d given Sonic her Chaos Emerald before he left. Truthfully, she wasn’t too bothered by it. After all, Sonic couldn’t travel between dimensions without it. Still, even after everything that happened since then, Rouge held out hope that her precious emerald would be returned to her. For now, she was content to know that her husband was no longer consumed with worry. 

Amy had also joined in on the laughter before finishing up her bowl of chili. She then proceeded to dab off the excess on her lips with her napkin. “Sonic’s gonna be so surprised the next time he visits you guys.” 

The bat nodded. Sonic left shortly before Maria was conceived. As far as the blue hedgehog knew, his friend was sterile. Everyone was still trying to figure out why Shadow was able to have children. Considering how much fear, joy, heartache, and overall excitement had been brought into the couple’s life, they were both glad he could.

As if on cue, a muffled cry could be heard over the baby monitor. Within seconds, it morphed into an ear-splitting wail. The screams of a baby bat weren’t something to take lightly. And the cries of a baby bat mixed with alien D.N.A. were an otherworldly terror.

Rouge shifted in her seat. “She probably needs to be changed.”

“I’ve got it!” Shadow stood up from the table and gave the bat a quick peck on the cheek. “You aren’t going anywhere until you eat a couple more bites.”

Too tired to protest, Rouge made sure to plop another spoonful of chili into her mouth before Shadow left the room. Amy stared at the black hedgehog with slight bewilderment. More people had seen Shadow’s doting, protective nature since he and Rouge became a couple. But, to Amy, him worrying about his wife’s eating habits seemed a bit excessive even by his standards. It warranted some sort of clarification.

“Shadow’s been a bit worried about me,” the bat tightly grasped her napkin, realizing the direction of the conversation, “after what happened…”

Everyone knew that Maria had been born early, but most were spared the details of why. Rouge and Shadow’s explanation was that there were complications with the pregnancy—which, to be fair, wasn’t a lie. Everything that happened with the birth was a blur to the bat, though the smell of the blood was still firmly imprinted in her memory. It was hard to imagine now, but there was a high probability that she and her daughter wouldn’t have survived, let alone live three more months to celebrate Christmas. That aspect didn’t fully dawn on the bat until doctors explained all the gruesome details.

The outcome shouldn’t have come as a shock. Rouge was well aware of the risks her pregnancy would entail, yet she still chose to go through with it. She never regretted the decision, especially now that Maria was here. Still, Rouge was haunted by the hypothetical outcome. No doubt, if it had happened, Shadow would’ve blamed himself even more than he already did.

“You don’t have to get into it.” Amy placed her hand over the bat’s clenched fist. Within seconds, Rouge loosened her grip and exhaled. 

Before she could say anything else, the pink hedgehog was already gathering the empty dishes and bringing them to the kitchen. Relaxed, Rouge took another bite of her food. “ _Whatever would I do without her?_ ”

* * *

By the time Amy left, the sky was dark, indigo, and dotted with stars. At both Shadow and Rouge’s insistence, Omega acted as the pink hedgehog’s escort. The E-series robot could quickly plow through the snow if needed. Luckily, most of the icy patches had melted to slush over the three hours spent at the couple’s townhouse.

Maria needed to be fed one more time before bed. This time, the infant was able to hold down her meal without much trouble. Just in case there was, Rouge draped a towel over her shoulders so she wouldn’t get any stains on her nice dress. 

Once the girl was fast asleep in her crib, her parents finally had a moment to themselves. The bat and hedgehog sat on the living room couch together, illuminated by a small fire lit in the fireplace. Rouge rested her head on the white patch of fur on her husband’s chest.

Meanwhile, Shadow observed the newly decorated Christmas tree, which sported lights that flickered from red to green to white. All the broken bits of ornaments were swept off the floor. “I have to say, Omega did a pretty good job.”

“He did,” Rouge nodded, petting the head of the tired Chao on Shadow’s lap. Her attention was fixed on the diverse array of wrapped boxes scattered beneath the tree, “Maria’s gonna be set for life with all those gifts Amy brought over.”

The hedgehog gave his wife a knowing smirk. “Y’know, there’s still one more gift that isn’t under the tree.”

“There is?” The bat raised her eyebrow.

Before she could ask anything else, Shadow placed Star in Rouge’s arms. “Stay right there.”

Upon realizing the hedgehog had left, Star squirmed free from the bat’s grasp. Thankfully, Shadow returned before the Chao needed to fly after him frantically. In his hands was a box wrapped in pink paper and tied with a silk bow. 

“Shadow,” the bat noticed her name was written on the tag, “you got me something?”

Shadow set the gift gently on the coffee table. “Open it.”

Rouge carefully removed the wrapping and discarded it at her feet. When a small rounded box with a velvet touch was revealed to be underneath, she instantly knew that it was jewelry of some sort. Rested on the delicate pillow inside was a pair of teardrop-shaped earrings. The shimmer of the emeralds within reminded her so much of the Master Emerald. And it was likely the closest she’d ever get to owning that coveted gem.

“They’re beautiful!” Her eyes started to water.

Shadow stood in front of her proudly, with Star circling over his head. “You have no idea how much trouble I went through to get ahold of those.”

“ _So that’s why you came home late the other night._ ” Rouge thought. The last time she saw these earrings, her daughter was still in the hospital, fighting for her life inside of an incubator. It was one of the few bright spots to come to the bat during that time. Shadow must’ve noticed her light up while looking at them through the shop window. But he likely wasn’t prepared for just how many people wanted that pair. 

“Now I feel guilty.” Rouge sniffed, blinking back the tears that fell freely from her eyes. “You got me such a lovely gift, and I have nothing for you.”

“But you did get me something.” Shadow reached out and took his wife’s hand.

The couple tiptoed out of the living room, Star trailing close behind. The earrings were left in the jewelry box atop the coffee table. Rouge had a sneaking suspicion as to what her husband was getting at. Once they arrived at the door to their daughter’s room, she knew exactly what he was referring to. The bat felt her heart melt, seeing her husband gaze upon Maria asleep in her crib. Having her home, healthy and happy, was a better gift than anything Rouge could’ve bought. More than ever, she was grateful to be alive.

Smiling proudly, she squeezed the hedgehog’s hand. “Merry Christmas, Shadow.”

Shadow kissed her nose in response. “Same to you, Rouge.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays everyone! I've been thinking of writing a follow-up to my first fic for quite awhile now. Glad I was able to get it finished right before Christmas. I hope you all enjoyed my gift!


End file.
